Dean or Grant?
by AdmHawthorne
Summary: They're back in town, and Jane's annoyed. Rizzles, honest.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, my silent partner and I have been at it again. Good news, SP has unsilenced themselves! They are Googlemouth here on FFN. **

**I'll be posting this in chapters today. It should be all up by the end of the day.**

**Please feed us our crack.**

**Characters aren't mine or Googlemouth's. Please don't sue. The only thing we get out of this is the pleasure of writing and sharing a story.  
**

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Jane glared down at her phone as it buzzed, skipping across her desk. "Grant?" She picked it up and looked at the screen as if it had turned into some sort of distasteful substance. "Really?" She sighed as she pushed the button to answer. "Rizzoli."

"Jane, it's Grant."

She crossed one arm over her stomach as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Caller ID."

"Oh, right." There was an awkward pause as he tried to figure out what to say next. "So, anyway, I'm back in town for a little while, and I thought we could go out for drinks."

"When?" She leaned forward to pull up her Outlook calendar. "My week's pretty full right now. How long are you going to be in town?"

"I'm moving back, so whenever. They decided to push me back here to do some rep work. It's a long story. I can tell it to you over a beer. What about tonight?"

"Can't. I have plans with Maura. What about Thursday night?"

"No good. I have a dinner meeting. I hate those things."

"Yeah," Jane's voice was full of apathy. She had started surfing the net as she chatted with Grant.

"What about Friday night?"

"Nope, plans."

"Really, Janie? With who?" His irritation was rising.

Jane sat up in her chair, her eyes narrowing as her grip on the phone tightened. "First of all, don't call me that. Second of all, it's none of your business. But, it's with Maura if you have to know. We have tickets to this play that I promised I would go to with her, and I can't back out. We've been planning it for a month now."

"Okay, fine, then _you_ pick a day."

"Saturday's fine. You know I can't do it Sunday; Ma's got that day booked forever."

Grant chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Okay, I'll see you Saturday night. Pick you up?"

"I'll meet you."

"You sure? I haven't forgotten where you live, you know."

"I'll probably spend the night at Maura's. So, I'll just meet you at the Robber. Six good?"

"That'll work. See you later, Janie."

The phone went dead. With a frustrated grunt, Jane tossed her phone back down on the desk.

"Jane, who was that?" Maura had slipped into the squad room while Jane was dealing with Grant.

"It was Grant. He's back in town and wanted to grab a drink Saturday. We don't have plans, do we? It's just that play on Friday night, right?"

Maura nodded, expression for once unfathomable, but only for a moment. Then she smiled. "It sounds like fun. You'll have a lot to catch up on," said the medical examiner as she deposited two folders on Korsak's desk and one on Jane's. It had already been a busy week for her, most of it devoted to paperwork, though the court appearance this morning had been something of a break. How sad, she thought in the part of her mind that wasn't occupied with Jane's information, that she regarded a day in court as a break.

"Yeah, it'll be something." Jane watched the ME walk around the room dropping off folders. "How was court? Are we still getting together tonight? I know it's only Wednesday, but I could really use the break." The detective looked down at the mound of work she'd already finished that was now balanced rather precariously on the edge of her desk. "Thinking about it, why don't we skip out early and go get dinner? I've been filling out some stuff on Hoyt for the FBI, and I could really go with something else to think about for a while. Know what I mean?"

The four o'clock doldrums had sunk their teeth into Maura an hour ahead of schedule that day, and so she immediately accepted Jane's invitation with alacrity. "That's a wonderful suggestion. I could go now, if you're ready? I'll just get my coat." She all but skipped away, returning in very short order with coat, purse, and freshly reapplied lipstick. "I'm glad you suggested this. How about this? Anywhere you like, my treat. Absolutely anywhere, no arguments from me." It was a pie crust promise, easily made and easily broken if the place Jane suggested didn't meet with her rigorous standards for cleanliness, but she meant well.

"Anywhere huh?" Jane pushed her pile closer to the center of desk and went about shutting down for the evening. "You know, I'm really not feeling it for the Robber tonight, and I don't feel like changing into my 'going out clothes'." She looked up to give Maura a wink. "What about we go to the store, pick some stuff up, and actually cook for a change? You and Ma are always saying I eat out too much anyway, and… damn it." Jane picked up a folder from her desk. "I have to drop this off with the FBI. Come with me? I don't want to go in there alone. It always takes me forever to get out of there when I go in there by myself." She pulled her blazer on and doubled checked that she had her badge, gun, phone, and keys. "Besides, if I run into Dean, I want to have a quick excuse to leave."

Maura had a habit that unnerved most people, smiling or meeting eyes for about a second too long, and she was doing it right then. When she did speak again, she was still smiling. "I think that sounds lovely. My place? You can stay over. Bring Joe, so you don't have to leave early to go her walk in the morning." She wasn't worrying, or even thinking, about Dean.

"Another ladies' night out?" Korsak gouged with good-natured humor as he edged his bulk around Maura to get back to his own desk. "What do you girls do all the time, paint your nails and talk about boys?"

"Pillow fights," Frost responded with a grin, voice assured as if he actually knew what he was talking about.

Another voice chimed in. Frankie Rizzoli had heard Frost's words but nothing leading up to the line Frost had just shouted across the room. "Lingerie pillow fights." However, when Korsak moved aside and Frankie could see that his sister was involved in the conversation, not even Maura's hurried protests could drown out his fervent, "Oh, wait, we're talking about _Jane_? Gross. Never mind. It's probably ladies' night at the batting cages or something. No offense, Doc." His sister's best friend did not fall under the normal protections of sister's best friend: she wasn't to be hit on, but she also wasn't gross, so the apology was in order.

Maura's brow furrowed as she considered it. "Does that mean you don't want me to take offense, or that no offense could possibly be taken, or that you hope you're not being offensive, or that you want to reassure me that you didn't offend your sister by calling her gross, or that you know offense could and should be taken, but you'd object if either I or Jane did, in fact, take offense?"

"Uh, yeah," Frankie gave his big sister a look that was clearly a plea for help.

"Maura, we should go. I have to drop off this folder at the FBI, we need to go shopping, I need to swing by my place to get stuff and Joe, and then I have to figure out a way to kill my baby brother without Ma figuring out that it was me." She placed her hand on the doctor's back to guide her to the door. "It's a busy night. Korsak, don't watch too many cute animal videos. Frost, shut up. Frankie, bite me." She addressed each of them as she made her way out with the confused doctor in tow.

Once they were safely in the elevator, Jane dropped her hand. "Sorry, Maur, the guys can be stupid sometimes. You want to drive or you want me to?"

The doctor allowed herself to be guided, though she did flutter one hand in farewell towards the men who rounded out the closest thing Maura Isles had to a crowd of friends. "You can drive." It was unusual for her to suggest such a thing, since Jane drove in a way that just barely avoided reprisal from one of her brother police officers on the traffic beat, but she knew Jane enjoyed driving, and she enjoyed watching Jane do things Jane liked to do.


	2. Chapter 2

In a short order, they reached the store, shopped for enough fresh food for about two days, picked up Joe Friday, and were at Maura's house. "Would you like to walk Joe while I start dinner, or would you rather cook and let me take out Joe?"

"I'm going to leave you and Joe here and stop by the FBI. I told you I had to drop this file off." Jane picked up the file from the counter and held it in front of Maura's face. "Since you don't want to come with me, looks like I'm going to have to go by myself." Jane was clearly irritated. "If I run into Dean, I'll tell him you said hi." In a huff, she grabbed her keys and started for the door.

Maura immediately set down the entire bag of groceries on the top refrigerator shelf and whirled around, looking almost scared. "No, wait! I mean, I'll come with you. I just forgot about it. I guess I got a little excited… a-about the roasted chicken I'm going to make for you. I'm really hungry. Besides, I'd like to see Agent Dean, if he's there."

Jane stopped dead in her tracks and turned around abruptly. "I bet you would." She scowled at the doctor. "You want me to give you two some quiet time while we're there?" The humorless tone in her voice left no doubt that she was being biting with her sarcasm. "If you really want to come, grab your coat. I hate going to that place. I hate dealing with anything dealing with Hoyt." She turned back around and stomped to the door. "I mostly just hate Hoyt." With a quick turn of the knob, Jane was out the door.

Maura had never liked her crying face, finding the distortion of her visage unappealing enough to worsen whatever experience that caused it to appear. She followed Jane, plucking her coat out of the closet but not bothering to put it on until she was certain that Jane had noticed that she was tagging along. Once in the car, she cleared her throat, squelching the tears that had been threatening to spill, and spoke. "I'm sorry, Jane. I know you won't find it anything but unpleasant to be there and deal with any of this. I'm not trying to make light of that. I just hoped that at least having Agent Dean there would ameliorate some of the unpleasantness and help console you. I like him in passing, that's all. I don't mean that I would want to intrude between you and your... Well, not your boyfriend, but I think he would have liked to be your boyfriend if you'd been receptive at that time, and if you're receptive right now, maybe it would be better if I waited outside the office for you."

"Maura," Jane snapped back as she pulled out of the driveway. "You _were_ there when I said I don't want to deal with Dean, right?" She threw the car in drive and stepped on the gas. "You do understand that I associate Dean with that psychopath, _right_? You get that I'm not interested in Dean. I mean, sure, he's good looking and whatever, but he's not the kind of person I want to settle down with." She gave a snort. "I don't want to date him, Maur."

The tires on the car squealed as Jane pulled into a parking space at the FBI building. "Come on, let's get this over with." Jane pushed the car door open with more force than she meant to. The handle escaped her grasp, and the door just barely missed slamming into the car next to it. "Shit." She got out and slammed the door shut not bothering to see if Maura was following. It wasn't until she was at the entrance to the building that she stopped walking and turned to see where her friend was.

Maura was right behind her. Her face was crumpled again in nearly-crying-face, but she was there, clicking along on those impossibly high, narrow heels, dancing between pothole puddles in the parking lot, miraculously keeping up... but she was there. In fact, Maura was even keeping her mouth shut, knowing she'd overstepped herself for the second time that night, and having no desire to accidentally do it again. It wasn't her business if Jane didn't want to date Dean, nor the reasons she didn't want to date him. She bit her tongue to keep from obeying her first impulse, which was to remind Jane of how cute Dean was, how thoughtful, and how he'd even been instrumental in helping Jane to apprehend Hoyt in the first place. As Jane glared at her, Maura ducked her chin in mute apology, a silent promise to be supportive and discreet while they were in the FBI building. She wouldn't cause trouble between Jane and Gabriel Dean. If ever Jane changed her mind, she wouldn't need memories of her best friend goading her into starting a relationship with the man, nor discouraging it.

The security officer had them remove keys, cellphone, and other metal from their persons, check weapons and purses, then wand them over to see if there was anything they'd missed. He flirted a bit with Jane, who, Maura reflected, was turning out to be the lady of the hour. Grant, Dean, _**and **_this Officer Downard? The well-coiffed physician got a little of her smile back as she appreciated the positive attention her best friend was getting lately. Not that this was anything new. Jane tended to attract attention all the time, and, as much as it irritated her, Maura had the impression that it wasn't entirely unappreciated; everyone liked to feel wanted now and then. However, she knew better than to mention it, given Jane's frame of mind, and so she just answered the security questions and went on through.

"Downard," Jane grumbled to herself as she clipped her badge back onto her belt. "Maura, are you smirking? Don't tell me you think this is funny. Did you _see_ that guy? He was twice my age!" She rolled her eyes. "Really? You know, it'd be nice if I could find someone who was into me for something other than my badge, my handcuffs, or my _body_." She sighed. "Just once…"

"I'm not smirking in the least," Maura avowed in all seriousness as she trotted along, only slightly behind Jane. "I think it's nice when people treat you well and demonstrate that they find you attractive. Even if you're not interested in them, it's still flattering, don't you find?"

They stopped at the door to the room where the bullpen held a spot for Agent Dean among other FBI agents. Jane grunted as she scanned the room. "Looks clear. If we hurry, maybe I can drop this off and get out of here before anyone sees us. The last thing I want to do is have to talk to anyone. In and out." Jane practically sprinted to Dean's desk.

The two of them got all the way to Agent Dean's desk, dropped off the files, and were nearly back out the door when they heard it. "Jane!" It wasn't Maura's voice, but one much deeper. When they turned around to see him, Maura couldn't help but return the man's smile, even though it really wasn't meant for her, and she knew it. He'd been interested in her for about ten seconds, then met Jane, and that was that. She didn't mind, though. For once, Maura had a real friend, someone who wouldn't ditch her immediately when a guy came along. She might make plans for another evening, but she wouldn't just leave Maura in the midst of their time.

Jane groaned and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Dean… hi." She gave a little wave. "God," she said through her teeth so that only Maura could hear her. "So close." She stuffed her hands in her pockets and tried to not look as annoyed as she felt.

Maura whispered even more discreetly, "Be nice, Jane." A part of her wickedly hoped that Jane wouldn't be nice at all, but since that part of her was not the part she was proud of, she kept it to herself. Just once, she thought, she might enjoy it if someone else got ditched, even if it was someone cute.

"I thought you were coming by after work?" Agent Dean stopped in front of the women. "Dr. Isles, it's always good to see you."

Maura smiled and murmured something inconsequential. Inconsequential because Jane didn't need to be told hello, and Dean wasn't listening.

The detective watched the doctor give a curt nod before she tried to find a way to quickly exit. "Yeah, we skipped out early. Got things to do."

"Oh yeah, anything interesting?" Dean's smile grew slightly and he leaned a little toward Jane. "Big plans or would you like some company tonight?"

"No." Jane spat out much to Agent Dean's obvious confusion. "I mean, no I don't want company. I already have company. Maura." She made a face as she glanced at the woman next to her. "We have plans tonight."

"I see. Well, what about some other time? Maybe we could finish our dinner?" Dean suggested hopefully.

"I don't think so. I'm pretty booked. My schedule's packed, actually." Jane reached out and threaded her arm through Maura's as she began to slowly back away. "You know, I really don't know when I'm going to be free. In fact, I'm… I'm not free." She tugged at the doctor's arm. "I'm sorry, Dean." She gave him a little apologetic look before turning both herself and Maura around to march to the exit. She called over her shoulder as they exited, "File's on your desk."

Maura's fingers linked with Jane's in a fluid, practiced motion, her hand smooth from a recent manicure. Her free hand lifted to wave towards Agent Dean. "It was lovely to see you," she called back through her sudden, inexplicable smile, earlier upset all but forgotten.

Dean watched Jane disappear with Maura down the security checkpoint, an odd expression on his face. In response to some internal dialogue, he muttered all the way back to his office, "I have no idea what the hell that was."

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**Don't forget to crack me!**


	3. Chapter 3

The doctor glanced up at Jane several times on their way through security, out of the building, and back to the car, realizing with a little thrill that her faith in their friendship had not been unfounded. Jane had been offered on a silver platter a prime opportunity to ditch her, and had not done so. Then guilt set in. Someone else had been rejected. Maura knew how that felt. Worry nagged at her. As the two of them turned onto the freeway, she asked softly, "I know you don't like being reminded of Hoyt, but is that the only reason you turned down Gabriel tonight?"

Jane sighed and reached over to place a hand on top of her friend's that was resting on the armrest. "No. I said I wanted to spend the evening with you, and I meant it. Why would I change my mind for Dean? He's fine, but he's not my friend, and I don't like his company half as much as I like yours." She gave Maura's hand a little squeeze. "Besides, he makes me feel really… uncomfortable, not like you." The detective gave a small shrug. "I'd just rather be with you, Maura. Is that okay? Or, did you want to spend quality time alone with Bass and Joe tonight?" There was a light teasing in Jane's voice and a smile played at the corners of her lips.

Hazel eyes regarded Jane from beneath long lashes as Maura returned the hand squeeze. "As much as I do like Bass and Joe Friday, no, I'd rather have you there. Of course, that was before I realized that you were suffering from some sort of psychological malady." She paused just long enough, then allowed the teasing smile to show. "You must be, because you're the only person who's ever said or implied that I don't make them uncomfortable. For the record, though, you don't make me uncomfortable either… most of the time."

"Most of the time?" Jane snorted. "You know, it's really stupid that people get so hung up on your smarts and money and stuff. I mean, you're not hung up on it, so why should I be?" She shrugged as she turned into Maura's drive. "Sure, you're a little goofy, but that's just part of your charm. People can be such _jackasses_ sometimes."

"You're sweet to say so," Maura demurred.

Jane turned the car off, hopped out, and sprinted around to the other side to help Maura out. With a lopsided smirk, she offered the shorter woman her arm. "M'lady?" She gave an over-the-top bow from the waist as she waited for Maura to take her arm. "Your chicken awaits." She chuckled at her own joke.

Having already begun to open the car door as usual, Maura was taken slightly, but pleasantly, aback by the sudden change in routine. Nevertheless, she understood immediately that Jane had changed the rules, and, what was more, she understood the new-for-Jane rules as being the old-hat-for-herself rules that she'd been reared to observe. Effortlessly, she glided into 'lady' mode as if she'd never spent a second away from the high society in which she'd lived for most of her life, taking Jane's arm with a light hand and allowing herself to be escorted in style back to her door. Even so, there was a little doubt in her mind, which she expressed in the quietly nervous tone which was so common for her. "Jane, I know we've planned that I'm going to cook and we're going to discuss our cases and whatever else comes to mind...?"

Jane used her key to open Maura's door and then held it to allow the doctor to enter first. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to the dinner. I'm _starving_." She closed the door behind them. "I'm not really feeling it for the cases, though. I think I'm starting to burn out." She strolled into the kitchen, pulling her blazer off and throwing it on the back of the sofa on her way. "I think I need to take some vacation time. This rehash on Hoyt is really messing with me. I get so tired of just hearing his name, you know?" She continued to call out as she stuck her head in the fridge to pull out the bag of groceries and a beer. "Hey, maybe you and I could run off to a different state for a while? Take a mini vacation? I've always wanted to go south." She plopped the bag on the counter and started unpacking it, taking small breaks to sip on her beer.

Her phone buzzed on her hip and she let out a string of curses as she pulled it to her ear. "Rizzoli." She walked away from the counter to wander aimlessly around the kitchen as she spoke. "No, I told you I'm busy tonight. Yeah, I get that, but I already have plans and… Hey! You know what? _You're_ the one who decided to go to DC for _your_ career. I didn't stop you. We weren't dating, Grant. It's not like it was some sort of sacrifice for _us _that _you_ decided to come back here." Jane's jaw flexed as her irritation increased with the increasing length of the call. "Yeah, well, that's _your_ problem, isn't it? You said you wanted to grab a beer. I'm all for beer, but I'm not going to just go running into your arms because you decided to come back to Boston. You want to find a girl to date, look online. There might have been a chance, but, buddy, you just blew it. I can't _believe_ you'd try to force me to choose… yeah? Well, I'm not going to walk out on her for some guy that decided he wanted back in, so you can just bite me."

"Jane," Maura chided softly in the background, "be nice."

With that, Jane hung up and clipped the phone back on her hip. "God, I can't _believe_ him." She stomped back to the counter to finish unpacking. "Bastard."

Annoyance at the phone call turned to relief as Jane neatly circumvented her concern - how to jokingly invite the ersatz 'gentleman' inside as earlier plans dictated, without it sounding like a sexual advance - causing the doctor to smile as she picked up the investigator's coat and hung it neatly in the closet, followed by her own.

While Jane talked with Grant, Maura seasoned the chicken and vegetables and put them in the stove, eavesdropping on the conversation without subtlety. Her smile grew, then faded into guilt, then rapidly shifted to cheerfulness as Jane hung up the phone. "Language," she chastised gently, then asked, "How far south?" Maura headed back for the kitchen to start preparing dinner, one hand trailing across Jane's shoulders along the way. "New Orleans is a lovely, of course, or Atlanta. But if you'd like to go further, there are some gorgeous destinations in Costa Rica, Brazil, the Caymans. Or maybe not south, but east? Greece is gorgeous, and I have a friend who owns a resort on Santorini. It's off-season now, but still quite beautiful." Pause. "You know, you didn't have to turn down Grant for my sake. I'd have understood."

Jane shot a side glance at Maura as she started pulling the salad together. "Grant can kiss my ass. He was an annoying boy and he's still an annoying boy. I don't know what I was thinking, honestly. I think he just hit me in a moment of weakness." She wiped her hands on a towel as she turned to the doctor, placing a now dry hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Maura, I already told you… I'd rather spend time with you. Okay? Stop trying to push me off on Dean and Grant. Grant's an ass and Dean's just… no." She quirked an eyebrow. "Got it?" With a sigh, she dropped her hand and went back to the salad. "I don't know what a Santa-whatever is and I don't know anything about South America. I was thinking south like Savannah or San Antonio or Key West or something like that. I've never been outside the US." Jane was starting to ramble slightly as she helped prepare the food. "I bet Greece is pretty. I've always wanted to go to Paris." She chuckled to herself as some internal joke. "But, I'm on a budget, so I think Europe is out of the question. I'm talking a beer budget vacation here."

A finely sculpted brow arched as, facing the countertop and not Jane, the doctor mouthed, _Paris_. "Mmhm," mused the coroner as she dissected a pint of cherry tomatoes, filleted and disassembled a cucumber and a scallion, then drizzled the bowl with olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, salt, and pepper. "Well, those are all beautiful places too, if you'd rather go there. But Jane, please remember that when I ask you out to dinner at a restaurant I know is beyond your means, I pay for dinner. I know what a homicide detective earns. I wouldn't make a suggestion like that, and then expect you to pay for it." Selecting a slotted spoon, she stirred the salad and set it in the refrigerator to marinate, then removed a bottle of wine to let it come up to room temperature.

"Regarding Dean and Grant, I understand why you don't want Dean, and I won't say any more about him. I can see why Grant would get on your nerves, too. I won't suggest them again, since it upsets you so." The blonde stretched forth a hand towards Jane's, warm and smooth and comforting. "I'll try not to exactly mimic your mother, who means well, and whose affection is clearly demonstrated by her desire to see that you're happy, but who apparently misplaces her attempts. You must admit, what your mother does is only what she thinks will eventually result in your happiness. And as annoying as I know you find it, don't you think that she may be a little bit right? You're such a loving, warm person, Jane. Don't you want to have someone in your life who can appreciate all that?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "First of all, I don't expect you to pay for me Maura. You're my friend. I'm not keeping you around for your bank account." She picked up her beer and walked around the island to get out of Maura's way. "Second of all, I never accused you of being my mother. But, now that you mention it, you are about as pushy." She gave Maura a teasing smile. "Third of all, I _am_ happy, and I already have all that stuff with someone. You. I don't need a guy to make me happy, Maur." She shrugged. "I don't get why everyone is always trying to hook me up. What? Do I walk around looking like someone's been kicking my puppy all the time or something? Just because I'm not dating someone doesn't mean I'm not happy." She tossed her empty bottle in the recycling bin under the island. "What about Hot Springs?"

Maura lowered her face in pointed submission to Jane's wishes. She took a half-step towards following after the detective, but then caught herself and returned to the kitchen to wipe the vegetable juices from the countertop as she thought things through. "All right," she decided as she rinsed the cleaning cloth and dropped it into a bleach bucket beneath the sink. "Some people don't want marriage, and at least you know yourself well, so you're not just deciding to forego it because you don't want to make the effort. I concede and accept defeat: You don't need a guy to make you happy. I just... think you should be open to the possibilities of life, so that if something _could_ make you happy... happier... you'll recognize it if you see it. Okay?"

So saying, Maura took a deep breath and changed the subject. "Now, about the trip. Hot Springs is a very good option, as are Savannah and so on, but they aren't the only options that are available. Can you just dream for a moment? I know we're friends," she left the kitchen and came to stand beside Jane and take her hand once more, "and you don't just talk to me because I have money. I just... Look, Jane, what is money for? It's for spending, isn't it? Come on. Just for a minute, dream a little. And if that doesn't work, think of _my_ needs." She played the selfish card shamelessly, hazel eyes pleading. "Don't you think I'd love to go somewhere that I could actually use some of the swimsuits that have been sitting in my drawer for ages? Get a little sunshine on my skin? Of course, I could always go by myself, but it wouldn't be as much fun as it would be with you."

Jane scrunched her nose up as she thought about it. "I don't know." In an absentminded gesture, she threaded her fingers through Maura's. "You really want to take me somewhere? I mean, what if I embarrass you? You know, I'm good at that when it comes to 'high class'. Remember the fish incident?" She rolled her eyes. "Swimsuits, huh? This time of the year, I guess it'd have to be south of the border." She pursed her lips in thought as she ran her thumb over the top of Maura's hand. "When I was in college, I almost went to Cancun, but then I completely bombed a poli sci class and had to stay over spring break to fix my gpa. I wouldn't mind trying to go there again. I got my passport for the trip and everything. I keep it up." She shrugged. "You just never know."

Jane chewed on her bottom lip. "I bet Ma would watch Joe and Bass for us." With a snort of amusement, she pulled her hand free and walked to the bottle of wine. "Is this ready to pop?" She pointed to the bottle on the counter. "Cuz, I just drank the last beer."

"I've accepted a little embarrassment," replied Maura with a smile as she reached over the countertop for the corkscrew and glasses. "Hold, please," she directed with a nod towards the bottle, and when Jane braced the bottle, she commenced with the bottle opening.

"Don't worry about whether you know the exact utensil to use," Maura said with a tone of confident reassurance. "I'll be right there to tell you, or show you, just like you're always there to show me how to properly drink a beer or eat a spuckie or cheer for the Red Sox. If I can do new things with you, then you can do new things with me. Besides, your faux pas always happen with such style. You never do anything halfway. That's one of the things I like best about you. There might be a few stiff-shirts in Cancun or Paris who will judge," she got the idiom wrong, but not too wrong to recognize where it was meant to go, "But they'll be people we'll never see again anyway, so who cares what they think? They aren't my best friend, so their opinions are immaterial to me."

With a grunt, Jane managed to keep the bottle steady as Maura pulled the cork out. "Paris?" She set the bottle back on the counter. "Are you offering to take me to Paris?" She couldn't help but put a little extra flirtation in her voice. It wasn't everyday someone offered to take her to Paris.

Maura's capable hands twisted poured two glasses and handed one to Jane. The taller woman's tone caused her to pause for a moment, still holding the glass, and search Jane's face for some indication of what the change in vocal tone signified. "Yes, if you want to go. It won't be warm there, but cold and rainy. Paris also has its attractions. If we go to one of my favorite hotels, there'll be a roaring fire in the fireplace, beautiful warm food... We can walk to Cafe le Dome for breakfast, find a crepe stand for lunch, maybe the Marais for dinner and a visit to a jazz club… Walk along the Seine? Winters in Paris are beautiful, if you like rain, which I do."

Jane leaned back against the island as she considered the possibility of going to Paris with Maura. She slowly swirled the wine in her glass as she watched the blonde talk about everything they could do together. "I bet you speak French, don't you?" She smiled gently at the other woman.

"Un petit peu," Maura confessed with a smile as she let herself be moved towards the stool and hopped up to sit on it. "Which is to say, English speakers tend to think I'm fluent, but Parisians think I'm giving it a really good try. Still, I did go to boarding school in France." Her sip of wine left a tiny drop on her bottom lip, which her tongue tip snuck out to reclaim.

"Would this trip to Paris include a shopping expedition for appropriate clothes? I'm willing to bet you think I don't have a thing to wear." Jane gave Maura a gently nudge on her way to the stool she normally occupied while Maura was cooking. "You'd probably be _aghast_ if I wore my worn jeans and a t-shirt, huh?"

"We could shop if you like, or not shop if you'd prefer. I do think you could have clothing that's more suited to the cold, wet climate there than what you currently have... but to tell you the truth, I like you in jeans and T-shirts, too. It took me a while to get used to thinking in a different aesthetic, but I've realized lately that you're more emotionally comfortable in your own style than you'd ever be in mine. If we go, and if we shop, it'll be entirely up to you what you should buy."

"That so?" Jane stepped closer the seated doctor. "I thought you liked dressing me up?" She raised an eyebrow as she set her glass on the counter next to them and crossed her arms.

Maura's lips dropped open momentarily in confusion. Just what was Jane asking her? "I... w-well, yes," she began, then was cut off. She seemed grateful for the interruption, though, and let it slide.

Jane smirked. "To tell you the truth, I like me in t-shirts and jeans, too, but I think people from Paris don't really like Americans, and I think wearing my normal thing would probably put up a few warning signs that I was from here." She stared down at the blonde. "How about we hold off on Paris? After we go, all I'm going to want to do is make bad references to _Casablanca_ anyway." She gave Maura a nudge with knee. "You know, 'We'll always have Paris.'?" She leaned over so they were eye level. "Let's go to Florida and visit the Mouse." There was twinkle in her eye. "You know, he's got some really nice resorts."

Relief, mild but subtle, fell on Maura like a gauzy veil. "I don't know what most of that means, but I heard the word 'resort,' and I do like those. Florida's lovely in the winter. Of course, we're slightly more likely to encounter people that know my family if we visit a resort in the States. Not that that's a bad thing, but when you feel self-conscious, you don't enjoy yourself as much, and my former cohorts tend to make you nervous."

Jane stood up and sat down next to Maura. "I'm talking about Disney. They have this really nice resort at their main park down there that I've been wanting to go to for a while now. I was going to go with… a friend. But, that plan fell through a few years ago. So, I think we should go. They've got everything from mud baths and saunas to horseback riding. Plus, we could go to the parks. It'd be a lot of fun. Don't tell me you've never wanted to go to Disney!"

"Oh, _that_ mouse! Yes, actually," Maura admitted, cheeks turning a bit rosy. "When I was a little girl, I always wanted to visit EPCOT Center. The Disney Imagineers have made amazing advances in sciences, especially considering that most of the time their primary goal is entertainment and education, rather than research and advancement for the sake of advancement."

Jane's voice held that whining tone she sometimes had when she thought it might be hard to talk Maura into something. She turned her body on the stool to face the blonde and took Maura's hands in her own, forcing the doctor to turn toward her. "Come on… _please_? We could be out of here in three days." She laced their fingers together. "Think about it… massages, nice places to eat, fun places to go, and no murders, death, Dean or Grant." She gave her best reassuring smile. "Besides, if you run into someone, you can just pretend not to know them, or I can run them off by being myself. What do you say?"

Maura's smaller fingers laced through Jane's longer ones, and, as was only natural, her body leaned forward into the idea and nearer to her friend. "It does sound lovely. I do love a massage and a mud bath. Or a salt rub. Or any kind of rub, really. I think we'd both really enjoy it there… Especially the warmth. Just tell me, will they let me wear my swimsuit there? I don't want to scandalize a bunch of children or incur parental wrath."

Jane gave a few blinks before letting her laughter rumble from her lips. "Yeah… yeah, Maura, I think they'll let you wear a swimsuit." The brunette shook her head. Standing up, she leaned down to place a quick peck on Maura's cheek. "You always take me by surprise, you know that? I love that. Anyway, I'm going to take Joe for a walk while you check on the chicken, okay?"

With that, Jane pulled her blazer from the closet, gathered up Joe, and left the house. She was still chuckling as the door closed behind her.

Maura watched Jane leave, smiling but still puzzled. "What surprise?" she wondered aloud, then got up to check on the chicken.

* * *

**You know how much I love my crack, right?**


	4. Chapter 4

The chicken needed basting, but was coming along nicely, along with the vegetables she'd put beneath it to soak up the juices and flavor. "Oh, she's going to love this." The baster spurted unexpectedly, dousing her sleeve with a bucket's worth of broth... or perhaps it was only a drop, but that wasn't how the pathologically neat coroner saw it. "Drat." She sighed, and started for the bedroom to strip off the 'ruined' garment and make for the shower. "Two birds, one stone," she murmured, solitude allowing her to shorthand her way through concepts. Halfway there, she turned back around and jotted Jane a note, which she left on the countertop: _Spill. Must change. Shower. Give Joe and Bass something to eat, and I'll be out in a bit._

Minutes later, she emerged, toweled her body dry and, her hair damp, put on a dark blue robe that, when new, had looked very formal. Now, it was old enough to have become worn and comfortable, its sharp silken creases long ago fading to softness. "Jane, are you back?" she called from the hallway as she headed back out to the common areas. Or, what would have been common areas, if she had shared her home with anyone.

"Yeah," Jane called out from the living room. "I got your note. Animals are fed. Now, when are you feeding this animal?" She had settled on the sofa, feet propped up on the coffee table, as she stared at the blank television screen. "You know, I get cranky when I haven't been fed. I might chew your shoes or something."

Maura took the threat literally and became quite concerned. "You wouldn't!" she gasped in horror as she ran the rest of the way to the living room, still tying her robe closed. The grin on Jane's face caught her up short, though. When she realized that it was said in jest, she suppressed a smile in a mask of annoyance. "Oh, you. Just for that, you can kiss dessert goodbye."

Jane's eyes ran over the partly clothed doctor. "I guess I'll just have to make my own, then." She cocked an eyebrow defiantly at the doctor. "I think I can live with that." She stood up to head for the kitchen. "Maur," she called out over her shoulder. "You're still hanging out a bit. Nice... assets." The smirk on her face was clear in the tone of her voice.

Maura's irritation turned immediately to shocked embarrassment as she glanced down and immediately turned her back. "Oh! Oh, blast!" sputtered the woman as her face a deep strawberry-infused pink. "Well, it's your fault, Jane, teasing me about my shoes! That was so unfair." She continued to rant even after her robe was fully closed and tied securely, but eventually wound down. "_Fine_, you can have dessert. There's some sorbet in the freezer, but after that, I'm certainly not baking the pie I was going to give you. And you're only getting it because you complimented me, even though I can tell by your tone that you're only joking."

The brunette stopped and turned back around. With a quiet intensity, she walked back to where Maura was still standing. She stopped with just a hair's breadth between them. "What," she began in a quiet, husky voice, "makes you think I was joking?" Her eyes narrowed, and she held the blonde's gaze.

Again, Maura paused, then sputtered, "The, the, the way you're smirking. I can hear it even with my back turned. Your facial muscles connect with those in your jaw and throat, which affects vocal production and..."

With the smirk still firmly set on her face, Jane reached out, gently laying her hand along Maura's jawline, pulling her forward to lay a kiss on the other woman's lips. "I think you're beautiful, Maura. I really mean that." She pulled back, a gentle blush falling across her features. "I can't believe I just did that." She blinked again, quickly stepping back. "I'm sorry, Maura. I… sometimes I don't think." She was beginning to lose her color. "Let's… uh… let's just forget that okay?" With a quick turn on her heels, she was gone and into the kitchen before the doctor could reply.

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**Poor Jane, she just never really thinks before she acts, does she?**


	5. Chapter 5

Surprise froze Maura to the spot, robbing her temporarily of the ability to react in any way for several seconds. Her lips were still, her body entirely stationary, for a good two minutes. Silence was all she could manage; no acceptance, no revulsion, no delight, not even a vocal expression of astonishment.

When she did enter the kitchen - when she could move again - the doctor was subdued. "No," she finally answered firmly, even forcefully.

"No?" Jane shook her head, a nervous smile playing on her lips. "No what? No dessert? You can't go back on your promise now, Maur. " She was clearly trying to pretend as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, though it was clear the bottle of wine was emptier than when Maura had been in the kitchen last. "You already said I could have the frozen stuff in the fridge. But, you know, if you want to bake me a pie..."

"No," Maura repeated as she trailed behind Jane for a moment around the kitchen island, then stopped, frustrated, as Jane was always on the opposite side of it. Soon she stopped trailing and just stood there, facing her best friend directly across the island, hands flat on its cold granite surface. "No, no, no, absolutely not. I am _not_ going to forget what just happened in there, so don't try to pretend it didn't. I've had barely two sips of wine, and you've had the same, plus one beer. Neither of us is drunk, so I'm ninety-one percent certain that was not a hallucination." Her face and throat were still pink from her earlier embarrassment, and her hands, even stilled by the steady support of the countertop, were not without light tremors. "So tell me what that was, Jane, because I am very confused."

Jane kept the island between them, but stopped moving. She stood for a moment, a look of uncertainty on her face. "A moment of weakness?" She offered as she ran a hand across the back of her neck. "I'm sorry. Sometimes… okay most of the time, I don't think. I just kind of… do what my gut tells me to do." She closed her eyes. "Oh, God, Maura, I am _so_ sorry. Please don't let this ruin our friendship. I promise I won't let it happen again."

With a look of pleading in her eyes, Jane looked up to see Maura still on the other side of the island. She swallowed hard before speaking again. "I probably should have told you sooner, but I really thought it was just a phase."

Maura swallowed, attempting but failing to take hold of her nerves, as she started into motion again. Rounding the table, she rushed to within inches of Jane, so that she could look up into the detective's face, eyes searching for every nuance that she could possibly draw out of those chocolatey eyes, the minute facial muscles and tendons beneath the dark olive skin. As the moment lengthened with no help for either of them, she finally broke the spell herself, hurriedly embracing her best friend and holding tight. "Of _course_ it's not going to ruin our friendship. I just... I didn't know. Jane, I'm so sorry that I didn't know." She leaned back again to let her eyes assist her judgment, but kept her hands on Jane's waist so that the lanky woman couldn't run off somewhere. "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

Jane's muscles tensed and she took a few moments before speaking. "I don't really want to be a cliché. I don't want to have to fight yet another negative stereotype for my job. I don't want to run you off because I… I have feelings for you I probably shouldn't. I don't want Ma to try to set me up with women. If her taste in men is any indication, she'd probably try to set me up with the least attractive, personality wise, women known to man." She smirked, trying to lighten the mood momentarily, then went serious again.

"Maura, it's hard for me to think with you this close. I'm not going to run away as long as you promise you won't either."

Reluctantly Maura stepped back so that there was no more contact between their two bodies, a removal which made her feel chilled with the sudden absence of Jane's warmth. It took longer for her hands to slip away from her friend's waist and fall down by her own sides, and still longer for her to find her voice again, whereupon she ignored what she considered extraneous and delved right into the heart of the matter, as if the lack of physical closeness necessitated her sliding right back into a more cerebral kind of intimacy. "I will never run away from you, Jane. You're... you're my best friend," she swore, voice low and heavy as if to underscore depth of feeling despite the lack of stronger language to express it. "That doesn't go away just because a person feels something in addition to friendship. I think..."

**_DING!_**

The oven timer went off, and Maura sighed in resignation. "Dinner's ready. I suggest we take the time to eat something. I think I need a few minutes to process, and you look like you could use a break, too."

They ate dinner in relative silence. One or the other would start a conversation about work, the weather, or something else mundane, but the quiet and tension would soon build back up in the room. After the dishes were cleared and the food put away, Jane walked Joe for the last time that night.

She came back into a quiet house and an empty living room area. Everything was clean and orderly. It felt eerie to her, and she thought hard about taking her things and her dog and going back to her apartment. She silently made her way to the guest room, intent on doing just that.

* * *

**I find myself tempted to leave it here for a while, but I'm not a mean person intentionally... most of the time... unless you mess with my coffee. Then, heaven help you.**


	6. Chapter 6

By the time dinner was finished and cleaned up, and Jane and Joe Friday returned from their walk, Maura's hair was fully dry, and she had judiciously elected to don some sleepwear beneath her robe. That was how Jane found her, sitting at the edge of the guest bed with one foot on the floor, reading a book. She looked up as Jane entered the room, and gave Jane a very small, serene smile. "How was your walk?"

"Maura! What are you doing in here?" The squeak that escaped Jane's lips was followed by a gasp. "I thought… I mean… the walk was good." She edged around the room, avoiding getting too close to the other woman, as she made her way to her bags. "Joe seemed a little homesick, though. So," she exhaled heavily and gave shrug, "I was thinking maybe I should just take her home tonight. You know?" She glanced over at the doctor.

Maura's brow arched delicately, pointedly upward.

With a huff, Jane dropped the bag she had just picked up and walked to the opposite side of the bed from the patiently waiting woman. "How do you do that? You're the only person I know besides Ma that can guess what I'm thinking about doing before I do it." She smirked. "Well, most of the time anyway. I guess that thing in the living room kind of threw you for a loop, huh?"

In actuality, Maura hadn't even considered the possibility that Jane would leave. It was their habit to stay where they were once it got past the dinner hour if they were together. She smiled, however, because it never hurt to be thought nigh-omniscient. It saved arguments. "You really did astound me," she agreed, still with the serene smile. "I didn't expect that at all. I hadn't planned it, so of course it couldn't happen, or so I thought." One hand reached in the direction of what she thought of as Jane's side of the bed, the side furthest from the door. "So, that conversation you were about to try to avoid, are you ready to have that, or should we just call it a night?"

"Am I really that bad at avoiding things?" The brunette frowned as she sat on the edge of her side of the bed to pull her shoes off. "On second thought, don't answer that question." She stood back up and walked over to her bag. After rummaging around for a moment, she stood up with a wad of clothes in her hand. "Don't go anywhere either. I'm going to get ready for bed." She brushed past the doctor. "You shouldn't be the only who gets to be in comfy clothes for this."

Maura didn't answer aloud, choosing instead to just smile and go back to her book. Now that her initial astonishment had subsided, she felt a bit more patient, more controlled. She lay down on her stomach to read, feet kicked up in the air and crossed at the ankles.

Jane ran through her evening routine quickly, opting to shower but not wash her hair. In a short period of time, she was back in the guest room dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top. She tossed her clothes in the general direction of her bag on the floor, and then settled on her side of the bed.

The medical examiner placed a bookmark in her book and set it down on the night stand on 'her' side of the guest bed in order to give Jane her full attention, then rolled back towards Jane and sat halfway up, leaning onto one hand.

"You know, if you were a guy, this would be so much easier," the detective grumbled as she pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged at the head of the bed. "I wouldn't have to worry about what _everyone_ would think, and we'd be dating by now. At least, I'm pretty sure we'd be dating by now." She rolled her eyes but plowed on letting her thoughts tumble out of her mouth. "We'd go eat at fancy places, go to the movies together, talk about work stuff, watch the game together, spend time with my parents… just spend time together, really… we might, no, we _would_ spend nights over at the other person's place, and," She stopped short and threw a prying look in the direction of the still quiet doctor. "Maura, you know, when I lay it out like that, it makes it sound like we've been kind of dating for a while now." She frowned, her face scrunching up in confusion. "_Have_ we been dating for a while now?"

Listening carefully, Maura elected not to break in and give her own opinions until she was certain Jane had reached a stopping point. There was a lot she would have liked to say, but it seemed more important at the time to just be the friend she was always saying they were to each other. When a question came along, though, she did have an answer, and it sounded like one that she'd given a lot of thought to. "Dating is traditionally what people do when they want to know if they'll eventually be compatible for marriage. In that sense, we haven't been dating because neither of us had that as an explicit or even an implicit goal. On the other hand, some people date just for the sake of entertainment purposes, though with an underlying acknowledgment of romance… or at least an attempt at romance. We've certainly enjoyed our share of entertainment together, but I don't know that romance was ever a... an understood part of our activities."

Her eyes focused intently upon Jane, reading facial and body language on the fly, to know when or if she reached a point of disagreement. "And then there are those who go out on dates primarily as a means of attracting a sexual partner, without intention of developing actual romantic attachment. I don't think that's been the goal for either of us, either. We've certainly become attached, while engaging in activities that could have been considered dates if we'd called them so, but... no, I don't think we've been dating. At least, not in any traditionally understood way. What essentially separates a date from a friendly movie or dinner seems to rest in the area of intention and acknowledgment thereof. We haven't had that acknowledgment." Maura paused, pressing her lips together as if holding something back, then decided to just press on with it. "Intention, yes, I think it's safe to say, but not overt acknowledgment."

Jane's eyes darted down to the bed as she ran a hand through her hair. She thought about what Maura had just said. After a long pause and a great deal of quiet, internal contemplation, she nodded to herself. Finally, looking back at the woman beside her, she said the only thing that kept continually running through her head. "Would you like to acknowledge it?"

"Oh, Jane, God, I..." Maura began, agitated. Like always when agitated, the first thing she did was reach for Jane's hand, regardless of the changing context that could have made the gesture unexpectedly too much. She backed up a bit, not physically, but in her thoughts. "I'm - you know this - I've always been a thinker and a watcher. It actually does give me joy, watching other people do things and express themselves, even when they're doing things I've thought or hoped or wished to do myself."

_Here it comes_, thought Jane, _the 'let's be friends' speech._

"Earlier, when you kissed me," Maura continued after a moment to calm herself, "I don't think I received it very well. I couldn't react at all, and I just froze. I was utterly transfixed and, to borrow from Shakespeare, translated. You altered me then, Jane. I'm not content to just have my little private thoughts in my darkened mind, not anymore. That scares me. It makes me feel very shaky and off-balance." Her eyes took on that telltale sparkle of emotion that was about to become uncomfortably strong. "But whether it scares me or not, I _am_ altered, and it surprises me to say this, but I think I want to be scared… with you."

* * *

**I wasn't going to leave you hanging... *sips coffee***


	7. Chapter 7

The brunette let go of the breath she was holding and gave a tentative smile. "Yeah?" The look of relief on her face was unmistakable. "Good." She tugged on the doctor's hand, urging her closer. "I think I'd just jump off a bridge if you'd told me no." She smirked, some of the Rizzoli smugness seeping back into her face. "You know I've never dated a woman before. I don't know about you." She scooted closer. "What… what would you like to do from here?" Her smile turned into a smirk. "I can think of a few things, but I think I've done enough without your consent tonight."

"I don't know... I mean, I theoretically know the mechanics, at least, based on some literature I once researched, but that was a long time ago, and honestly I don't put much credence in it. It didn't help me at all when I was learning with boys, either. Only experience really made a difference. Why don't we just figure it out as we go along? What little information I do trust says that whatever one of us enjoys, the other is also very likely to enjoy. Let's just take our time and work it out like we did with boys when we were teenagers, okay?" Maura replied with a light chuckle as she lowered herself onto one elbow, scooted a wee bit closer, and leaned such that she would be slightly underneath Jane. "But in case you're worried, I think you should know that you didn't do anything wrong. Whether you knew it or not, even whether _I_ knew it or not, you've had my consent for months now, for... whatever we figure out together."

With a chuckle, Jane leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the lips of the woman beneath her. "I'm not there yet for _that_ kind of thing, Maura. I was thinking a little make-out session, maybe some cuddling, and then sleep. We have to go to work tomorrow, and, honestly, I don't think I could handle the shift from being with you like _that_ to working cases the very next day." She lay down, facing the blonde. "Small steps, k?" She leaned forward, inching closer to the doctor.

Maura inched just that little bit closer to accept Jane's weight onto herself along with that light, chaste kiss. "Infant steps," she agreed. "That's exactly what I meant by figuring it out like teenagers. Holding hands for six months in junior high, kissing a few times in high school, college..." She trailed off, then smiled and murmured a sweet promise. "We'll get to collegiate activities later. By that time, we might even graduate to using the grown-up bed in the other room."

Jane gently settled on top of Maura, narrowing her eyes as she did so. "Baby steps, Maur." She bent down to kiss the doctor again. "I really hope you're not thinking of taking years here. I was hoping we'd hit … _college_ about the time we hit _Florida_." She gently nuzzled Maura's neck, breathing in the scent of the other woman. "But, we can move to the other bed right now. Of course, that means we have to move…" She lightly nipped at the sensitive spot just behind the doctor's ear.

"_Oh, God_," Maura gasped, hands swiftly running up Jane's back as the detective's newest investigation located a particularly sensitive part of her neck, or perhaps it was just that Maura's senses were already quite heightened that evening. "No, I don't think I want to move right now. At least, not into the other room. I can't seem to stop moving myself, I mean, my - You know what? Just keep doing that. You might graduate early through the Gifted and Talented program and get accepted through early admissions."

Another chuckle slipped out between nibbles as one of Jane's hands ran through Maura's hair. "Hmm… do I get extra credit if I get you to moan before we go to sleep tonight?" She ran her tongue over the blonde's jawline, just below her ear and then blew lightly over it.

"God," Maura said again in a voice that sounded suspiciously similar to a moan, chin lifting to allow greater access. Her own hand drew back beneath Jane's arm and up to the taller woman's face. Her outside foot lifted along Jane's calf to the back of the knee, then pressed to bend it and draw it closer and higher into her thighs. "No. But you might have to do some extra credit assignments, because... Jane, I'm not good with metaphors and I can't keep up with this one, so just… _please_."

Jane drew back to gaze down at the woman now writhing beneath her. "Baby steps?" She squeak out. Closing her eyes and taking a slow, steadying breath, she tried to think with more clarity as the sensations of Maura moving below her filled her senses. "Okay, one of two things is going to happen tonight," she managed to get out, a growl threatening to escape her throat. "We're either going to college, or you're going to the other room." Opening her eyes and placing a hand on either side of the blonde, she pushed up, her thigh moving further up as she moved. In a husky voice, full of need, she whispered, "Tell me, Doc, which is it going to be?"

Maura whimpered as the strong stimulation slowed, giving her time to catch her breath and think. She thought. Considered. Carefully weighed, eyes locked on Jane's, all her options. It took her about a second and a half, after which she said, still panting a little, "I don't want to not be touching you all night. Do you think we can keep our hands above the waist? Because if we can't..." She licked her lips, which felt suddenly dry. "If we can't, then... I guess you'll be finding out how loose I would've been in high school if I'd felt like I could get away with it."

With a snort of laughter, Jane dropped her head to Maura's shoulders. She remained there for a moment trying to focus. Finally, she slowly rolled off of the doctor. "I'm really not ready yet. I meant it. I want to take our time," She shook her head. "Maura," she rolled onto her side, gazing into the other woman's eyes. "I want our first time not to be rushed. I think, tonight, we should take a breather, and, tomorrow, we should plan our trip. I'll just keep my hands about waist level. That okay?"

"I won't say I'm not a little disappointed," Maura confessed as she took a few deep breaths to lower her heart rate, "But more than that, I think I feel grateful for your cool head. As difficult as it feels right at this moment, I want to take our time too. You're so worth savoring. We'll be more likely to be able to conceal signs of our changed status around your coworkers, which I would like to do for now. I don't feel like sharing this just yet; I want to keep it for just us. As long as I can sleep beside you tonight, then I'm... satisfied."

"I really don't think I'm going to be able to hide wanting to jump you from Korsak. He's been watching us like a hawk for weeks now. I think he knew before I did." Jane stood up and grabbed her bag. "I'm going to stop worrying about it. If we're really going to give this a shot, I want to really give it a shot, not just do it half way." She grabbed her phone from the nightstand. "Ma, she's going to be thrilled, I think. I don't know why. I just think she's going to be okay with it." She shrugged, causing the bag to slide down her shoulder a little. "I also think I'm ready for the big girl bed." She gave Maura a sideways glance as she walked out of the guest room and toward the master bedroom. "You coming, or what?"

Maura sighed, crumpled back onto the bed, and pulled Jane's pillow onto her face for a quick scream. As she put it back and followed after Jane, the woman who barely knew three words of slang demonstrated knowledge of at least one term that was not just slang but, dare one say it, even vulgar. "Not tonight, damn it."

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**Done! That was fun, wasn't it? Don't forget the reviews. We love everyone we get to see. :-) Thanks for taking time to read this. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed writing it.**


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